SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga -- Over 30,000 farmers from Pampanga province are expected to benefit from new rice farming equipment, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the inauguration of the Rice Processing System II in Barangay Pulungmasle in Guagua, Pampanga on Friday, September 19.
The government said the system aims to raise rice farmers' productivity, profitability and global competitiveness by strengthening access, and use of appropriate production and postproduction mechanization technologies.
It includes one multi-stage rice mill worth P53.602 million with a capacity of 2-3 tons per hour. It also features a pre-cleaner, de-stoner, huller, mist polisher, length grader, color sorter, blending tank, automatic packing machine for milled rice, rice hull bin, dust collection system, and air-conditioned control room.
Also included in the system are two recirculating dryers worth P8.12 million.
Each dryer has a 12-ton per batch drying capacity, made of stainless steel and equipped with two heating systems, a generator set, tools, and other accessories.
The Department of Agriculture said Pampanga, which is one of the top rice-producing provinces in the country and primarily focused on rice cultivation, comprises 36,060 farmers who manage 59,903 hectares of land and will “directly benefit from the project”.
Its local government was chosen as one of the eligible beneficiaries of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), which leads the implementation of the Rice Competitiveness and Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program.
The system is seen to reduce the production cost of farmer-users by P2-3 per kilogram and post-production losses by 3-5 percent using appropriate and efficient technologies.
Marcos also led the turnover of five units of Rice Combine Harvesters valued at P8.9 million to leaders of farmers’ cooperatives and associations and the LGU.
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